On Sun, 13 Aug 2006 03:39:57 GMT, "Paul Barrett"
> wrote:

>I'm fixing up a '76 Chevy Malibu with a 350. Until a month ago, it had sat
>undriven for about 3 years. Before that, it would smoke a little at startup
>then would be fine. I figured it was valve seals.
>Recently I've unclogged the PCV valve, replaced/reconnected vacuum lines,
>put in a new battery, and changed the oil which was black and seemed very
>thin. I also changed the plugs, which were all oil-fouled.
>Now that it will start again, a few things have changed. It now doesn't
>smoke at startup, and idles smoothly, unless I put it in gear, then it
>generally dies until I get it warmed up, then it'll keep running in gear.
>After about 5 minutes, then it gradually starts belching blue/grey smoke
>from the exhaust.
>My guess is that somehow over the 3 years it sat, oil got into the
>exhaust/muffler and doesn't start smoking till all that gets hot. Does that
>sound possible? If it was just valve seals I'd expect smoke only at first,
>and if it was piston rings, I'd expect smoke all the time.
>I'm guessing that if I ran it long enough it'd all burn off. But after a
>few minutes it really clouds up the neighborhood.
>
>Any thoughts/suggestions?

Leaking vacuum modulator on the automatic transmission. It's drinking
transmission fluid. Check transmission fluid level, check for the
presence transmission fluid in the vacuum line from the modulator to
the intake manifold. Easy to fix.

Don
www.donsautomotive.com